INFRARED STIMULATED LUMINESCENCE DATING OF ARCHAEOSEDIMENTS

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In this study the feasibility of infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) for dating loessic colluvial sediments, deposited as a result of human activity, is investigated. It is demonstrated that the ‘IRSL‐clock’is reset after a few minutes of daylight exposure even under foggy weather conditions. Samples of independently known age were taken at the Neolithic Bruchsal Aue site in south‐west Germany. Different laboratory procedures are tried and a method is suggested (narrow wave‐length band in the blue, preheat at 220° C for 5 min) to overcome age underestimates. This laboratory technique yielded archaeologically reasonable ages for colluvial sediments and hollow fillings. The IRSL‐ages demonstrate that the deposition of the colluvia is related to soil erosion triggered by human activities, such as wood clearing and agriculture. The successful dating of archaeosediments has a great potential for applications in environmental archaeology as well as in geomorphology and in particular for the reconstruction of man‐landscape interactions in central Europe.

This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit: